http://www.opsba.org/index.php?q=news/what_if_technology_in_the_21st_century_classroom Printer-friendly version
On Wednesday, April 29, 2009 the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) released a Discussion Paper entitled: What If? Technology in the 21st Century Classroom. As school trustees we want to engage the province in a meaningful focused discussion about classrooms of the 21st century. We want to be part of developing a provincial vision and strategies that will make all our classrooms connected and relevant.
“Today’s students are leaders in the use of technology and we know they want their learning experiences in school to reflect this,” said Colleen Schenk, president of OPSBA. “Students want to take the technology they use in their daily lives and integrate it with how they learn. They want their learning clearly connected to the world beyond the school.”
The Discussion Paper asks the question: “How can schools continue to be connected and relevant in the world of the 21st century?” It explores the relationship between the use of technology and the scope for increasing the quality of teaching and learning.
Innovative use of technology is proliferating in our schools but it is not matching keeping pace with the integration of multi-media in the lives of our students and it is not offering a clear and preferred alternative to the flexibility of virtual schools. In a very real sense this challenge is not about machines and devices; it is about what learning should look like. For young people today learning occurs in a wider space and time. How do we in the school system facilitate learning in this wider sense?
Many students feel, however, that when they come into school they have to “power down” to fit into an environment that offers fewer options for learning than are available in the life they live outside of the school. This can erode students’ perceptions of the relevance of education as they experience it in many schools today. At the same time, students need the guidance and leadership of their teachers in judging the authenticity and worth of the information so readily available to them.
Teachers in many schools are using technology to support different learning styles and engage all learners, offering developmentally appropriate learning experiences through a variety of media. What is missing is a comprehensive set of guidelines for all teachers that describe how they would use technology to: promote innovative thinking and collaborative work; incorporate rich digital resources into student learning; employ varied assessment methods that can in turn improve learning; model ethical practices in the digital age and strengthen their own professional development.
At a time when the economy is shrinking, when there is again great pressure on the education dollar, it is more critical than ever to be strategic about allocating resources in ways that will make the greatest impact. OPSBA is asking all those who are concerned with education in the 21st century, and who are interested in how schools engage with students to prepare them for success in a highly connected world, to join the discussion.
For more information, please contact:
Jeff Sprang
Together for Learning (Ontario School Library Association) "Today’s schools are experiencing a great deal of change. Just as the rest of the world’s political, social, economic, and scientific realities have been shifted by swift advances in information and communication technology, so too has education. These forces are altering the way people work, play and learn. Schools are being challenged to harness the unfamiliar yet incredibly fascinating opportunities presented by this transformation… all while ensuring students emerge with the skills they need, not only to survive, but to thrive."
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school. Learn more about the Partnership and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. http://www.p21.org/
p21_rainbow_homepage
Standards for the
standards for ther 21st-century learner
21st-Century Learner
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner offer vision for teaching and learning to both guide and beckon our profession as education leaders. They will both shape the library program and serve as a tool for school librarians to use to shape the learning of students in the school.
Our Prezi about 21st Century Learning
What If? Technology in the 21st Century Classroom
http://www.opsba.org/index.php?q=news/what_if_technology_in_the_21st_century_classroomPrinter-friendly version
On Wednesday, April 29, 2009 the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) released a Discussion Paper entitled: What If? Technology in the 21st Century Classroom. As school trustees we want to engage the province in a meaningful focused discussion about classrooms of the 21st century. We want to be part of developing a provincial vision and strategies that will make all our classrooms connected and relevant.
“Today’s students are leaders in the use of technology and we know they want their learning experiences in school to reflect this,” said Colleen Schenk, president of OPSBA. “Students want to take the technology they use in their daily lives and integrate it with how they learn. They want their learning clearly connected to the world beyond the school.”
The Discussion Paper asks the question: “How can schools continue to be connected and relevant in the world of the 21st century?” It explores the relationship between the use of technology and the scope for increasing the quality of teaching and learning.
Innovative use of technology is proliferating in our schools but it is not matching keeping pace with the integration of multi-media in the lives of our students and it is not offering a clear and preferred alternative to the flexibility of virtual schools. In a very real sense this challenge is not about machines and devices; it is about what learning should look like. For young people today learning occurs in a wider space and time. How do we in the school system facilitate learning in this wider sense?
Many students feel, however, that when they come into school they have to “power down” to fit into an environment that offers fewer options for learning than are available in the life they live outside of the school. This can erode students’ perceptions of the relevance of education as they experience it in many schools today. At the same time, students need the guidance and leadership of their teachers in judging the authenticity and worth of the information so readily available to them.
Teachers in many schools are using technology to support different learning styles and engage all learners, offering developmentally appropriate learning experiences through a variety of media. What is missing is a comprehensive set of guidelines for all teachers that describe how they would use technology to: promote innovative thinking and collaborative work; incorporate rich digital resources into student learning; employ varied assessment methods that can in turn improve learning; model ethical practices in the digital age and strengthen their own professional development.
At a time when the economy is shrinking, when there is again great pressure on the education dollar, it is more critical than ever to be strategic about allocating resources in ways that will make the greatest impact. OPSBA is asking all those who are concerned with education in the 21st century, and who are interested in how schools engage with students to prepare them for success in a highly connected world, to join the discussion.
For more information, please contact:
Jeff Sprang
OPSBA Communications
(416) 340-2540
Full document What If? Technology in the 21st Century Classroom
Together for Learning (Ontario School Library Association)
"Today’s schools are experiencing a great deal of change. Just as the rest of the world’s political, social, economic, and scientific realities have been shifted by swift advances in information and communication technology, so too has education. These forces are altering the way people work, play and learn. Schools are being challenged to harness the unfamiliar yet incredibly fascinating opportunities presented by this transformation… all while ensuring students emerge with the skills they need, not only to survive, but to thrive."
OLATogetherforLearning.pdf
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school. Learn more about the Partnership and the Framework for 21st Century Learning.
http://www.p21.org/
Standards for the
21st-Century Learner
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner offer vision for teaching and learning to both guide and beckon our profession as education leaders. They will both shape the library program and serve as a tool for school librarians to use to shape the learning of students in the school.http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/standards.cfm